The use of wired and wireless portable electronic devices continues to grow. Individuals typically own and use multiple portable devices, each of which has one or more particular functions, including cell phones, personal digital assistants, navigation devices, and body monitoring or fitness-oriented devices. These devices are often used in addition to non-portable devices such as desktop computers. It is expected that these various devices can communicate with the Internet and/or with each other for uploading and downloading data or otherwise transferring data. One example of a portable device that communicates with the internet and other devices is a monitoring device that is intended to be small and easily worn on or about the body. When monitored data is collected by the device, it is desirable to transfer the data (sometimes after on-board processing and sometimes before on-board processing) to other devices so that the user can easily review the data or possibly operate on it. In order for a portable device to communicate with another device or for it to be associated with a user specific account, the device is usually initially paired to an online account and/or to another device. Typically, this involves authentication, and also identification or verification of the device to be paired. Authentication includes verifying that the user is authorized to access the account to which data will be uploaded from the device, or from which data will be transmitted. Identification of the device can include discovery of the device by client software (such as software on a personal computer (PC) in communication with a cloud-based server) that is programmed to look for specific identifying information. It is desirable to minimize the amount of user interaction and input required in the pairing process for ease of use. This is particularly true of small devices which are purposely designed to eliminate keyboards and multiple buttons in order to satisfy other design criteria.